


The healing of the tin man

by LadyGrrey



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Emotional Trauma, Empathy, Healing, Mutant Powers, Own Character, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, ironman - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-05-13 18:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14754380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyGrrey/pseuds/LadyGrrey
Summary: Tony has locked himself in his workshop after the events of New York. He wouldn't come out to eat, to drink or anything. The Avengers are helpless and don't know what to do, so Peter calls an old Friend.Will the girl, not older then Peter will manage to help the men that saved probably the whole world and to which price?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Have fun!

It was cold outside when our friendly neighbourhood spider climbed up the stark Tower, so he could give Mr. Stark a visit. No one had seen Tony Stark out for weeks. No avenger, no paparazzi, no one. That was the reason why Peter was now climbing up the Stark Tower. “And anything”, the voice in his earpiece, Cap’s voice, asked. “No, Sir. He just shut the shutters.”

“FUCK!” This was everything what cap said and no one, not even Barton, cared to remind him of his own words. ‘Language’, because it was true! “So what do we do now”, asked Barton, speaking everyone out of the soul. The team tried to find an Idea how to get Tony out of his self-build exile. “I may know someone…”, Peter sated quietly, almost nervously. “I don’t know if she can really help Mr Stark, but it’s worth a try, right?”

After cap nodded he took his cell phone out. “Aunt May is going to kill me, but has anyone a clue what the area code for Germany is?” he asked quietly and earned a confused look from almost everyone. “049, I think”, Natasha stated quietly and Peter thanked her, quickly dialling the number. A sleepy voice answered the phone. “Hallo? Haben Sie eine Ahnung wie viel Uhr wir haben?”, she asked. „Anne? I’m really sorry if I woke you, but it’s quite urgent”, he stated quickly. “Peter”, she mumbled and he agreed. “So now that I’m awake at 3 o’clock in the morning, what can I do for you?”

So he explained the situation, as quickly as he could. “How are we going to cover the pay for my trip? Where will I stay?” That was everything she asked. “By the way, I make no promises that I actually CAN help. Just to clear that one up, Peter! However I WILL do anything I can to help Mr Stark. I owe him after all, the world owes him.”

That cleared and a short call from Tasha later, the cost was cleared too. SHIELD would pay for the trip.

“And you’re sure that this girl can help Tony?” Cap frowned, not quite believing that a girl that sounded about the same age then Peter could help with this situation.  “She is a mutant. A weak one, but just what we need”, he explained, smiling slightly.

 

Exactly 2 days later, a young girl arrived at Stark Tower. That and a strange man, dressed fully in black, white skin and his Fingers were covered in silver rings.  Both had Black Bags shouldered. “ANNE”, Peter yelled, jumping almost into her arms. “Mr Smith. It’s a pleasure to see you too, Sir”, he said, smiling at the odd men. “You too son, You too.”

While they chatted, Anne had got out of Peters embrace, entering the Tower. “Are you two old men coming, or are you standing there all day?”

 

A good hour later they all sat on the kitchen table in one of the lofts. “So what is it that you can do”, Cap asked and everyone except for Peter and her father looked curiously at here. Hell even Fury was there.

Nervously she nestled on one of her rings, she had just as many as her father. “Well in the widest area you could describe me as an Empath…” she said slowly, feeling the curiosity grow. She blinked slowly and looked at Natasha. “I do not manipulate emotions, Ms Romanoff. I would never and I can’t.”, Natasha almost looked caught.

“However, I can feel the emotions of the people in my near surrounding and sometimes I can heal emotional wounds. That depends on how deep and how much of them there are.” At this her father grumbled something that sounded somewhat like ‘only half the truce’. “What do you mean, Sir?” The captain asked and her dad sighed. “That is, no matter how much I hate it, not my story to tell. If my daughter decides to help Mr Stark and refuses to tell you about the costs, then that is not my story to tell.”, he said and she sighed. “Good one dad. Tell them everything and nothing at the same time. Bravo”, she grumbled, not really mad but tired. “Nothing comes without a cost, the cost however is mine to pay and only mine to know”, she said calmly. She knew what she did. She did it twice before. And fuck it hurt like hell, healing an emotional trauma. It was transferring the mental pain in Physical pain and extracting that into one’s self. It felt like burning from the inside and getting skinned alive all at once. And she was ready to pay this price with pride. “Ich bin immer noch dagegen, hon”, said her father in German, only Natasha understanding him. “So where is Mr Stark”, she asked calmly, ignoring her father fully, ignoring the concern that swapped towards her. “Your patience is at the workshop, oh mighty mind healer”, peter said, bowing cheeky. “Peter, he is not my patients. I’m no heeler. A healer heals, I take pain Peter”, she sighed. “Alright o mighty healer, Let’s get you to your patient.

Okay she knew he meant no harm, she really did and she could feel the banter behind the words, no ill attempt but she couldn’t… “I’m not a bloody shrink, Parker. And you know pretty well what I think of shrinks”, she stated softly, the boy stumbled back like she had hit him with full force. “Anne”, this one word was enough to snap her out of the mind space she was just in. “I’m sorry Peter”, she said quietly, bowing her head slightly. “Would you bring me to Mr Stark now?”

Peter blinked slowly before he nodded. “S’fine”, he said, bringing her to the door that led to the Workshop. “Well here it is. He let JARVIS lock the door and we can’t get it open!” She simply nodded understanding. She didn’t speak a word, just sat down in front of the door, meditating.  “Sir, do you think your daughter can help him”, Peter asked Mr Smith who just sighed. “I don’t know, Mister Parker. I really don’t know. But if I hope she can’t. I saw her pay the price once; I don’t want to see it twice.” The man looked firm and Captain asked the question. “What is the price?” “Go tell them, Mister Parker. Tell them what you asked my daughter to do again! Tell them what you asked from your friend.”, the man said, his voice was quiet and cold as ice. Peter just sighed and looked at the Avengers. “She can heal emotional traumata to a limit.” The avengers listened to the boy that looked now guilty. “But the pain doesn’t simply go away. She takes the pain as her own, as physical pain. The larger the trauma is; the larger the pain!”

“Like being skinned alive, like burning from the inside that was what she said when she described it once”, he mumbled. “And yet you asked my daughter to come here”, he didn’t said anything more and he wouldn’t for the rest of the time he would spend at the avenger Tower. He didn’t talk to the Avengers; he didn’t talk to Peter Parker.

While this conversation, Anne still sat in front of the Workshop, trying to sort every emotion that she got from Mr Stark. It was hard to actual sort them, they were just so many and so unclear. She couldn’t focus and it gave her a headache, an huge one to be exact, more like migraine.  

She didn’t quite realize that hours passed by, until she heard something that sounded like a plait put next to her and when she opened her eyes it was indeed a plate, set next to her from her father. “Hey Dearie”, he smiled sadly before going again and she could feel the pain that she caused him by doing this, but she knew she owed Mr Stark this. And if she could do this, then she would, no mater of the cost.

The young girl sighed and stiffly rose from the hard floor, taking the plate and standing in front of the black glass door that separated her from Mr Stark. Slowly she approached the door and knocked quietly.   
“Mr Stark does not wish to be interrupted”, a voice, coming from nowhere, said. “What the hell?” “I am JARVIS. Mr Starks A.I.”, the A.I. introduced itself.

She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. Jarvis, do you think you could give Mr Stark a message?” “Yes Miss Smith, I think I could do that.” She took a shaky breath and put the plate directly in front of the door. “Can you tell Mr Stark: Thank you and maybe that I left a plate for him in front of the door., so he doesn’t needs to come out”, she asked and after the A.I. confirmed that it would give him the message she left to get herself something to eat.

“So did you have anything”, Peter asked her and she sighed. “Nothing I can tell you. I don’t tell on people, Peter, you know I don’t”, she mumbled absent, staring in her cup of tea. She didn’t know if she could help him, she never felt something like that. So many emotions mixed up. She couldn’t sort them, none of it made actual sense. “Are you okay?” The captain seemed to have made his way towards them. She didn’t really responded, just looked absently.

Abruptly she stood up and went to the rooftop. She needed fresh air. “Good evening Lady Anne”, a calm and deep voice stated. A huge guy with long blond hair came from the shadow. Anne just smiled tiredly. “Prince Thor”, she said, if he wanted to play the title game, they would. “Do you mind if I shall accompany you in whatever you are doing Lady Anne”, he asked and she shook her head. “No I don’t. Would you answer me a question?” She looked up to the stars, at least something familiar. “If I can give an answer, then yes I will.” “In all the years you must have lived, did you ever feel so confused that you felt weak as well?” Thor titled his head. “Is this about Tony”, he asked looking at the young girl. “Yes it actually is”, she said, sighing, looking over New York. “Did you try looking from his perspective? Stark is a strange guy. Maybe his emotions are the same, Lady Anne?” She frowned and thought about it. That could be the clue and she smiled lightly. “You are smarter than many give you credit for, Prince of Asgard.” He laughed a rough laugh and winked at her. “I am thousands of years old, Lady Anne and I learned it is easier to play dump then show them how smart you really are.”  “Definitely too intelligent for me”, she smiled and went back down to her room. It was bedtime how so ever, but before she fully went to bed she went back to the Workshop and laughed happily at what she saw. He may not have touched the food precisely but he ate the slice of dry bread for the soup. That was a start!

 

The next morning:

Whistling she rumoured in the kitchen. Chopping fruits and throwing nuts in a huge bowl for a fruit salad and then put a small portion in a bowl and put two rice waffles with it, before she went to the Workshop once again, putting the bowl in front of the door. “JARVIS, could you tell Mr Stark when he’s awake that I put some breakfast in front of the door?” After the A.I. confirmed that he would tell his creator as soon as he was awake, Anne went back into the kitchen, getting herself some breakfast and then something happened. Something that she didn’t see coming, didn’t EVER want to feel again. Someone entered the room, no presence that she knew. A stranger and like she did always automatically she scanned his intentions from his feelings. That wasn’t the problem; the problem was what lay beneath the calm feelings. It was dark, it was cold and it was dangerous like a animal praying at her. Trying to consume her and she screamed. She couldn’t stop herself from falling from the chair and robbing away from the cold presence. It was as this stranger had TWO personalities. One a dangerous animal, watching with burning eyes at her, praying at her and the other a calm and tired man. It was that praying side that consumed her, that made her shiver, scram and called upon every basic survival instinct she had.

Her screaming seemed to waken the others because her father came running, pulling his little girl in his arms. “Daddy”, she sobbed into his black Metallica shirt. “Schsch Prinzessin, alles wird gut”, he mumbled into her hair, holding her protecting. (Schsch princess, everything is going to be alright!). “What the… Buck!” The Captain and the widow came storming in the room, he with his shield, and she with a gun in her hand. “What happened here?” Asked her calm voice and Anne was still sobbing in her father’s arms, slightly calming. “Two…”, she sobbed, taking a shaky breath. “Two what, Princess”, he asked, automatically joining the language swap.

Anne needed a second before she could answer. “Two Personalities”, she mumbled into his shirt, not looking up, not uncramping her hands. “Are you okay now hon? They got him out of here”, he asked his daughter and she nodded slightly, breathing slowly. “I think I will be okay, Dad”, she said slowly getting up from the floor. “But I need to get out of here.” And with that she stormed towards the elevator, exiting the tower and heading directly into New York.

5 Hours later Anne showed back up to the tower, two huge bags in her hand. Her father didn’t say anything; just let her pass in her room while he murdered the avengers with his eyes.

After every new book was stored into her room she went to lunch, she could already smell it.  Something with beetroot! “Smells delicious”, she said, smiling at Natasha which was cooking.

Slowly the others came too, well except Mr Stark of course, so she prepared a second plate quickly and brought it in front of the door and told JARVIS to tell him. “I will Miss Smith.”

“Why do you keep bringing him the food? He won’t eat it anyway”, the second stranger of the day asked. It was a tall guy with grey/blond hair and he looked quietly familiar before she hit her forehead mentally. “Hawkeye, it is a pleasure meeting you”, she said smiling softly. She could feel something lighting up in him when she recognized him. Something like pride and confusion? She frowned slightly, but didn’t let that irritate her too much. “The pleasure is all mine, Natasha told me about you”, he said looking to the widow. “I hope not too bad. And too you’re question: It doesn’t matter if he even touches the food, as long as he COULD eat. If the Workshop is the only place he feels save right now, then I won’t take this save heaven from him. It is about the gesture, not the food on itself.” Clint didn’t look convinced, but didn’t say anything more.

 

The days passed by and they all went the same. She brought Tony food and every day he ate a little bit more and between the times she brought him food she sat there, in front of the door, analysing every emotion she got from him over the days, the weeks.

One day, she didn’t know how or why, the door clicked and unlocked. Carefully and not really gracefully Anne rose from the floor and approached the door. Carefully she entered the Workshop; letting herself be led by the strangely blurry feelings that came from Mr Stark.  She searched for him and found him in the corner of the room on a bench. He looked tired, sweaty and wasted. The last two quickly were confirmed by the smell as she came closer. “Good evening Mr Stark”, she stated quietly, not to scare him. “Do you have an alias kiddo”, he slurred and looked at her, waving his whisky glass in her direction. “I don’t think so sir?” “You definitely need an alias Kiddo! Everyone needs an alias.”

She chuckled brightly and grinned at him amused. “So which Alias would yer be giving me, sir”, she asked smiling while sitting down next to him.  “Hmm how about… the Empath”, he asked and now she laughed out of her full heart. “You are not very creative when your drunk sir”, she said smiling softly and somehow managing to get up and make him stand up as well. “Well let’s get you sober and then get this done with huh”, she asked, dragging the rather drunk billionaire into the next bathroom, sitting him in the shower and holding the ice-cold water on him. “You’re a bastard kiddo”, she pounded and she just rolled her eyes. “I know Mr Stark, believe me I am a bastard in every single, god damming meaning of the word”, she smiled but he was too drunk to get what she was saying.

After she was done, he ice cold and a little more sober then before, she threw a towel at him. “Ready to get out here and get some new clothes on”, she asked firmly. It wasn’t really a question, more a statement so she got him up again and brought him to the master bedroom after asking Jarvis where it was. She got him to get some dry clothes on and got him in bed. “So now yer gonna sleep the rest of the alcohol out of your body”, she said, putting a blanket over him and waiting until he felt asleep.

As soon as Stark hit the dreamland she softly touched his temple, taking all the pain he felt emotional, every emotional trauma she could find. She may not be able to fully take the PTSD but she could certainly take the fear a little, ease the pain, ease the nightmares and then she felt exhausted to the floor, crying silently in agony from all the pain, fear and suffering she transferred to physical pain.

The next morning at 5am Anne stood up weakly from the floor, swaying to her father’s room. “Daddy, we can go now. Can we go home now”, she asked tiredly, looking at her half-awake father. “Of course darling, go lay down and I’m going to get your stuff”, he smiled at her sadly and put her to bed.

One hour later they were ready to leave. “You’re going already”, Peter asked, the other avengers standing in the kitchen as well to say goodbye. She looked at him firmly, relying on her father to keep standing. “I am going home Parker!” Not Peter, not Pet, Parker. Her voice was weak but that didn’t take the coldness out of it. “I did was you asked me, I come to the aid of my EX-BOYFRIEND who cheated on me. I did what you asked, healed him. You owe me and the next time you cross my path or you call me to take someone’s pain, while you know what it feels like,  If we ever meet again, one way or another I will not hesitate to let my father have his way!”, she said, staring coldly at him. The other Avengers and even Thor looked at her as if she had grown a third head. “For the others of you, it was a pleasure meeting you. Now I’m going home”, at the word home she smiled and off the weird girl and her father went.


	2. Chapter 2

So I hope you enjoyed it :D


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